[TEC] How do I remove the red depth indicator needles?

[aanker]

Does anyone know for sure if the "MaxDepth=" number in the submarine cfg files affect anything besides how deep the boat will dive when the keyboard command "D" for dive is entered (other than cosmetic things)? I am mostly interested in if any information is passed by the SH4 AI to the ASW. I am not interested in changing the actual crush depth (crash depth) number in the zon file.

If there is no major effect in changing the "MaxDepth=" deep depth number in the submarine cfg file I would like to remove the red deep depth indicator needle from the interface and while I'm at it I may as well do away with the 60' periscope depth indicator as well. IMO these two red indicator needles are unnecessary. As Captain of my boat I would certainly know what the test depth is. Are there any suggestions for how I can remove them?

After looking at the sections in menu_1024_768.ini that (I think) point to these indicator needles it appears that I would need to find out the SH4 color code for transparent or maybe it would be easier to just make a transparent tga/dds graphic called indicators2.dds and point to that... however right now I think the code is red for anything I would try. What is the SH4 color code for transparent?

My goal is to hit "D" for dive and be able to dive deeper than the 450' depth setting on the HUD deep depth gauge if I want but obviously changing the MaxDepth= would make the red indicator needle useless.

I like using the keyboard commands:
"P" for periscope depth (PeriscopeDepth=)
"R" for radar depth (SnorkelDepth=)
"C" for crash dive (CrashDepth=)
and "D" for planes on dive (MaxDepth=), until I hit "A" to stop the dive.

One consequence of doing this that I am thinking however is maybe the "MaxDepth=" number may somehow affect ASW capabilities? Please tell me if this is just my imagination, but I got sunk recently and the DD's seemed to know exactly where I was despite my best efforts to evade ... lol ... and I am pretty decent at evading ASW unless I do something stupid.

Here are the sections in menu_1024_768.ini that I think are the sections I want to change - or make transparent:

[G3F I24]
Name=Test depth val
Type=1031;Stat bmp array
ItemID=0x3F1F0005
ParentID=0x3F1F0000
Pos=39,-6,12,78
Zone= 907 114 12 78 0 1 0x3F1F0000 0.5 -0.5 0x3F1F0005 -0.5 0.5 0 0
Color=0xC80A0AFE
Materials=1
Display=5;Linear&rotation
Mat 0=data/menu/gui/layout/indicators.tga
Crop 0=0,0,0.5,0.46875
MatFlags=0x29
TexFmt=0x0
Drag=false
BmpState=1
NeedFocus=true
SelOne=false
IdGroup=0
StatesColors=0xFFFFFFFF, 0xFFFFFFFF, 0xFFFFFFFF, 0xFFFFFFFF

and:

[G3F I31]
Name=Periscope depth val
Type=1031;Stat bmp array
ItemID=0x3F1E0005
ParentID=0x3F1E0000
Pos=40,-6,10,78
Zone= 908 114 10 78 0 1 0x3F1E0000 0.5 -0.5 0x3F1E0005 -0.5 0.5 0 0
Color=0xC80A0AFE
Materials=1
Display=5;Linear&rotation
Mat 0=data/menu/gui/layout/indicators.tga
Crop 0=0.5,0,0.5,0.5
MatFlags=0x29
TexFmt=0x0
Drag=false
BmpState=1
NeedFocus=true
SelOne=false
IdGroup=0
StatesColors=0xFFFFFFFF, 0xFFFFFFFF, 0xFFFFFFFF, 0xFFFFFFFF

If these are the correct sections, the line Color=0xC80A0AFE is the color code line to change if I do it that way, correct?

Any suggestions on how to remove these red indicator needles would be appreciated as well as any insight into the consequences of changing the "MaxDepth=" number to 200;meters for example - regarding the SH4 AI knowing that number and - possibly - passing it to the ASW. I don't mind getting sunk if the game plays fair but I don't want to shoot myself in the foot by doing this if it is coded to be a factor.

Thanks,

Art

to make my transparent orders bar i used "Color=0xFFFFFF00" so you can try that.

its worth a shot but i cant say for sure it will work because the orders bar is transparent already and you just change the shading to make it more visable.

[aanker]

Originally Posted by WEBSTER

to make my transparent orders bar i used "Color=0xFFFFFF00" so you can try that.

its worth a shot but i cant say for sure it will work because the orders bar is transparent already and you just change the shading to make it more visable.

Thanks Webster! - exactly what I needed:
Color=0xFFFFFF00;Color=0xC80A0AFE .... much cleaner looking now with the red needle gone!

Now to go tangle with some patrol groups and find out if SH4 'cheats' - err - um - I mean, factors the Test Depth "MaxDepth=" number in for an ASW advantage.

Happy Hunting!

Art

Originally Posted by aanker

Thanks Webster! - exactly what I needed:
Color=0xFFFFFF00;Color=0xC80A0AFE .... much cleaner looking now with the red needle gone!

Now to go tangle with some patrol groups and find out if SH4 'cheats' - err - um - I mean, factors the Test Depth "MaxDepth=" number in for an ASW advantage.

Happy Hunting!



Art

glad to hear it worked

but dont tell anyone my super secret color code

lol, im sure this will fix a few other things in the game we dont want to see now that everyone knows what that color code does.

[ancient46]

My experience with the sub cfg file is the number you set is the depth the boat will go when the button is pressed and the needles will indicate that depth on the dial. The numbers and indicators are different in TMO, RFB and stock if you want confirmation. When I adjusted the periscope depths for all the subs for a uniform height above water, small changes of inches showed up in the game.

You could set the crash depth to 1000 feet (304.878 meters in the difficult to comprehend metric system) and it will probably do what you want.

[aanker]

Thanks ancient46, I did set it below the crush depth (crash depth) - I forgot and don't want to remember what my 'precise' crush depth is.... lol. - In the past I used the SnorkelDepth= (now, my 'radar depth' command) to go deep.

Anywho - the million dollar question is does the game pass the Test Depth info on to the ASW. The jury is still out on that one. I don't see it as a factor any place obvious but it could be buried somewhere. I'll find out soon enough if the ASW suddenly acquires magical detection abilities they didn't have before.

Art

PS:

Originally Posted by ancient46

... in the difficult to comprehend metric system) ....

You got that right..... I'll never be able to visualize anything in the metric system.... lol

[AVGWarhawk]

I'm glad you are taking these out. I sure don't see these on the Torsk.